NO SOUTH ISLAND POWER CUTS NEEDED

Grey River Argus, 10 April 1948, Page 7

NO SOUTH ISLAND POWER CUTS NEEDED

WELLINGTON, April 9. “The water storage in the South Island is full and there is no need to introduce power rationing there at present,” said the General Manager of the State Hydro-electric Department, (Mr. A. E. Davenport), to-night. His attention had been drawn to a decision o fthe Christchurch City Council’s emergency power committee that it required information immediately, so that it could prepare its plans for rationing if rationing was inevitable. “Surely the South Island does not want rationing of power before it is necessary, and the power authorities there can rest assured that they will be informed in good time.” Mr. Davenport said. The series of westerly depressions in the South Island had been replenishing the storage there, and at the moment there was no lack of supply. It was impossible to judge what the position would be later, because everything depended upon the weather. The South Island depended upon the summer run-off during the winter. This fact made conditions in each island completely different. USELESS IMPOSITION. “In the meantime, it would be useless to impose power restrictions in the South Island, because we know we would only be throwing water over the Wai ahi dam.” said Mr. Davenport. The position was being checked daily and power authorities were being kept informed of the positl'The main feature of the Electricity Control Order, 1948, gazetted to-night is the decentralisation of control and wider powers given to various power boards and municipal electric supply authorities to decide the best means of limiting the consumption of power in their own districts. In the South Island all electric thermal storage water-heaters on services exceeding 10 hours a day arc- to be changed over to a metered supply, as was done in the Nortn Island in 1943. The restriction upon the sale of radiotors and radiator elements will be continued. The order provides for making available power for the construction of various defined classes of buildings and for new dwellings, as well as for the improvement of primary production. , , . n , Other restrictions will be decided by each electric supply authority as may be found necessary to keep the consumption of power within the allocation. If sufficient savings cannot be made the supply of power for domestic water-heaters will be reduced. Emphasis has been placed under the 1948 order on the savings Which can be made by an economical use of electricity for water-heating. CHRISTCHURCH. April 9. “The-position is under daily examination,” the Minister of Works (Hon. R. Semple) has telegraphed the Mayor (Mr. E. H. Andrews), who had sought news of the likelihood of immediate power cuts in the South Island. , t “I have already stated, on March 31, that the rain which had fallen during Easter had temporarily postponed the necessity for the rationing of power in the South Island. The present position is that it has not been necessary to draw upon storage so far, and while this condition continues the extent to which rationing may subsequently be necessary cannot be determined. “The position is under daily examination, and you will be advised of the result,” Mr. Semple’s telegram concluded. The cold spell which began on Wednesday increased considerably the demands made on electric power in the Christchurch area. The daily load at the Addington station, for instance, had increased from 121,000 kilowatts on Monday to 147,500 kilowatts on Wednesday. By noon yesterday, the load was 5000 kilowatts higher than normal. The level .at Lake Coleridge yesterday 'morning was 1671.05 feet, described as “a little better- than at this time last year,” but the flow in the Harper River had dropped slightly. Lake Pukaki yesterday morning was within a few inches of its maximum storage of 20 feet, with 4000 cusacs flowing out; but there were indications of a frost which would lessen the intake into the lake. The flow in the Waitaki was 10,000 cusecs, slightly below what it had been on Wednesday. Further south,, the storage at Lake Monowai was full, and recent rain had increased the water level al Waipori. Giving these figures yesterday, the District Engineer of the State Hydfo-electric Department (Mr. W. H. Gregory) said: “We still think that the people, if they can save power, should save.”